Good eats: Rosalie's Roadhouse in Jonesville offers charm, Christmas music and lots of homemade Italian foods

JONESVILLE, MI -- It was built in 1852 as a house along the Chicago Road in Jonesville.

In keeping with its history, Colleen Savarino turned it into a roadhouse nearly 27 years ago and named it after one of her husband’s grandmothers: Rosalie.

Travelers as well as locals have embraced it over the years with beer, wine and lots of Italian foods, all homemade. And at this time of year, Christmas music plays overhead and Rosalie’s Roadhouse is decorated with festive boughs, ribbon and snowmen.

It was Georgia Mackinder’s first visit. She ordered one of the daily specials, a turkey, bacon and grilled apple Panini, so large she needed a box to take some of it home.

“There is a lot of nostalgia and charm to this place,” said Mackinder of Hartford, as she finished lunch on a Friday afternoon. “And you can’t beat the homemade bread.”

Homemade bread, pizza dough, tomato sauce and hand-cut french fries have made the place famous over the years. Rosalie’s carries draft Bud Light and seasonal beers, along with a variety of bottled craft, domestic and imported bottled beers and wine. The “house special” is Long Island Ice Tea.

If guests are lucky, Savarino will be on the premises. A warm personality, she loves to make guests comfortable and hear their stories. Once on a very busy night, she noticed a group of people standing together and learned they were part of the family that used to live in the house.

“I got them upstairs in one of our dining rooms, served them drinks and took their orders and then I sat down to hear their stories of living in this place,” she said.

The roadhouse has a main floor and upstairs. Guests walk up the original – and somewhat narrow – open stairway to the second floor, which is nicely divided into various rooms. The main floor, with the original floor, has only seven tables, glass-topped with seasonal fabric underneath.

The adjacent bar has bench seating and high-top chairs. It is decorated with license plates, road signs and a traffic light in a corner.

The menu offers appetizers, salads, pasta, a number of sandwiches and pizza with 10 toppings available, and there is a children’s menu. A popular pizza is the margarita pizza, but not named after the popular drink. Savarino explained it is an Italian term and comes with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil.

“This place has really been good to us,” said Savarino, adding her husband, John, has owned Savarino’s, an Italian restaurant in Hillsdale for years. Their four children have worked both places, and son John is in the process of buying his father’s restaurant. The couple have 13 grandchildren.

“We have a lot of people drive by because they realize there is so much to see when you travel on the back roads and get off the highways,” Savarino said. “This is a place where you can eat and have a drink with it, too. But food is our main focus.”

Tidbits from Rosalie's

Rosalie’s Roadhouse, 417 W. Chicago St. (U.S. 12) is located west of the village of Jonesville. It is open from 11 a.m. until at least 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, call 517-849-2120. Note that credit cards are not accepted.

There are a number of places to do Christmas shopping (and shopping year-round) as you drive from Jackson to Jonesville.

Bretty’s in General and Bretty’s are next door to one another at 2980 E. Chicago Road and 2971 E. Sterling Road. Owned by Cynthia Broesamle, Bretty’s carries early American and colonial items, including paint of period colors. It is located in an 1854 stone schoolhouse. Bretty’s in General is located in an old general store built around 1870 and carries foods and other items. Neither sells antiques, a common misconception. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 517-849-1049 or visit www.brettys.com.

Power’s Clothing, 227 E. Chicago St., has been a family-owned business for 122 years. It sells men’s and women’s clothing and shoes and is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; and only in December noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 517-849-9151.

Theresa Walker owns Walker’s Timeless Closet, and her husband, Tim, owns Treasures Etc., at 245 E. Chicago St. and 253 E. Chicago St. Her store is a Victorian themed consignment shop with new and used men’s, women’s and children’s clothing. His store sells various antiques, from toys to housewares, as well as furniture. They are open 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 517-849-7555.

The Jonesville Bakery, owned by former Jackson residents Laura and Virgil Udzik, is famous for its decorated butter cookies, and really goes all-out at this time of year. Santas, Christmas trees, crosses, snowmen, snowflakes and candy canes are just a few designs available. The bakery is also famous for its molasses cookies, salt rising bread and many other pastries. It is located at 243 E. Chicago St., and open from 4:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday; and 4:45 a.m. to noon Saturday. For more information, call 517-849-9864 or visit www.jonesvillebakery.com.